TIME vs MONEY for DIY Digital Marketing

I’m a do-it-yourself kind of person, and I totally identify with those of you who want to do DIY digital marketing , or stick to a marketing budget that may require you to invest time vs money. So where do you put the time and where do you spend the money?

DESIGN-Money, unless you are a graphic designer.

Everyone is not a graphic designer for good reason. Not everyone has the same eye, or the same understanding of what constitutes EFFECTIVE design. Of course, I’m probably impartial here but it is proven time and time again to me that it is better to spend money on design for print and web, and not just because you don’t know how to use the Adobe Suite of programs, but because you want to create final products that reflect well on your brand, that don’t alienate clients and that actually work.

EDUCATION- Time

The world has become one giant learning opportunity and you can learn pretty much anything for free online.

ADVICE- Money

Free advice is everywhere but free does not equal good. It’s well worth it to invest is consulting or marketing advice from someone who has your interests at heart because you are a paying client and your success measures their success. Advice from friends and family may, at times be in your best interest, but may also be in theirs.

FACEBOOK Time and Money

There is a time and place for a boosted post, and their is a time and place for Facebook ads. But you also have to spend some time in Facebook putting content out for your page, and Facebook may be a place where you could outsource- but not to your nephew or any other family member you think is more savvy than you because they are younger. SOCIAL IS NOT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY. It’s about people.

TWITTER and INSTAGRAM- Time

Frankly, for small business it makes no sense to me to have someone else maintain a Twitter or Instagram account. It should be you building your brand and creating connections.

EMAIL MARKETING- Time and Money

If your new to this, spend the cash to have someone set up a good system for you to capture leads. If your good with words and understand how to best get the attention of your audience via inbox, then go ahead and spend the time drafting, sending and evaluating your email marketing campaigns.

CONTENT- Time and Money

Again, if your good with words, your time may be well spent. To get really great looking content published regularly on your site then money is well spent. The word content could represent more than just words though, Video is a great way to create content and you don’t need to spend big dollars and have fancy equipment to get a message out. A good mic on your headphones and a cellphone will do the trick.

GOOGLE- Time

Google Local (Bricks and Mortars), Google + and Google + for business are must do’s but create them yourself and save money for other “stuff”

DIGITAL ADS -Money

Not just for the ads, but for the consulting. It’s well worth it to have some good, honest guidance for a digital ad campaign. Hire a pro who will give you the best advice on how to proceed in your market, and the best plan and budget for effectiveness.